EU Policy in the French Presidential Elections[fr][de] 

The study states that, in the final stage of the French presidential elections campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal, national identity advances as a popular instrument for the mobilisation of voters. Thus, European policy, European integration and the place which France wants to take within the European Union are not the main focus of the campaign.

The text points out the many similarities which exist between the conservative and the socialist candidate concerning areas such as enlargement as well as differentiated integration, European Central Bank, economic protectionism, and European harmonisation. On topics like environment, energy and immigration issues Sarkozy and Royal express rather differing suggestions for the EU. 

The paper identifies their handling of the EU constitutional crisis as the main area where Sarkozy and Royal disagree. Both agree that the existing constitutional treaty is obsolete. But whereas Sarkozy is pushing for a “mini-treaty”, Royal favours a further ratification of a renewed treaty via another referendum.

The paper claims that there is a huge gap between the “French desires” and the “European reality”, arguing that it is obvious that the core points of the French europolitical programme is not realistic. 

This applies especially for Sarkozy’s and Royal’s proposals on enlargement or European harmonisation (of company tax rates, social standards and minimum wages). The text stresses that “European policy within a campaign is rather domestic policy”. This gap, the paper claims, further increases euroscepticism in France and presents the basic problem of French European Policy for the upcoming years. 

Thus, a reconciliation between the French people and Europe and the assurance of France’s role as a European leading power proves to be very difficult, and none of the two candidates has so far suggested a solution to the crisis, the paper concludes.